How many motorcycles can you name that won Baja 1000 races spanning a
12-year period? Not to mention nine off-road championships and dozens of
other major off-road events. Only one motorcycle makes the cut: Honda's
mighty XR600R. Honda's off-road four-strokes have been immensely successful
in terms of both sales and race wins for decades, and the most successful of
them all is the legendary XR600R.

First introduced in 1985, the XR600R could claim the XR500R as its
predecessor. That bike, first introduced in 1979, also proved to be a
favorite of dirt riders everywhere and amassed racing victories all over the
world and in a staggering variety of conditions.

The XR600R introduced a number of key features, not the least of which
centered on its engine, a power plant that produced lots of grunty torque as
well as class-leading top-end power, all spread over an easy-to-ride,
seemingly limitless range. It retained the 500's SOHC four-valve RFVC
(Radial Four Valve Combustion Chamber) head for maximum valve area. The XR
was fed by twin 28mm Keihin carbs (the same as the 500's except for revised
jetting). Spent gasses exited through a new, longer, twin headpipe system
and redesigned muffler/spark arrestor.

Transforming the dry-sump motor from a 500 to a 600 required surprisingly
few changes. Honda's engineers bored the crankcases to accommodate a
3mm-larger bore, while a new crank yielded 5mm more stroke for dimensions of
97.0 x 80mm and an actual displacement of 591cc. While the 600 obviously
didn't need as much compression to gain extra torque (permitting it to run
on lower-octane fuel found in out-of-the-way places throughout Baja), the
new bike's larger, redesigned valves opened in tapered inlet ports to add
mid-range punch.

Like Honda's Baja 1000 race-winning XR500s, the 600 featured recalibrated,
longer-travel suspension; a new frame with a stout square-section downtube
and aluminum swingarm; and an easy-access, no-tools-required airbox cover.
The 160-watt generating system was also a direct result of Baja influence.
An innovative electronic enduro meter widened the XR600R's appeal, as it
provided accurate tracking of distance, speed and time. Trail riders as well
as enduro racers found it useful and, if nothing else, very cool.

The remarkable XR600R made headlines throughout its long model life. It won
its first Baja 1000 in 1986 by 45 minutes, thanks to riders Chuck Miller and
Bruce Ogilvie (both current and longtime Honda employees). In all, the 600
would win the Baja 1000 four times, the Baja 500 three times, the Nevada
Rally once, Barstow-to-Vegas once and more desert races than you can count.
It was also amazingly versatile: Scott Summers built his reputation by
winning nine AMA National championships contested in the woods (four in Hare
Scrambles and five in Grand National Cross Country) on XR600s. Summers also
won three gold medals in the International Six Days Enduro-the Olympics of
motorcycling-racing against the best enduro racers from every nation on
their ground.

Through the years, the XR600R was campaigned in motocross and dirt- track
races as well, yet throughout its design evolution it never moved far from
its original concept. A single 40mm carb replaced the twin mixers, stainless
steel headpipes increased durability, an automatic decompression system made
starting the bike easy, 43mm CR-style cartridge fork and revalved shock
improved suspension response, while an optional Power-Up Kit increased power
by 25 percent through a larger piston and a few other changes. The XR600R
also received a rear disc brake to complement the front disc it used from
the start.

Most significant, the XR600R provided a springboard for the incredible
XR650R introduced in 2000. Like the XR500R before it, the XR600R laid the
foundation for an evolutionary leap forward, and inspired innovations in the
XR650R, such as an aluminum chassis and liquid-cooled engine. In only its
first year, the XR650R posted overall wins in the Baja 1000, Baja 500 and
the grueling Nevada 2000.

The XR650R is an amazing machine, but no matter how many records the new
XR650R breaks, the XR600R's incredible 15-year off-road reign will never be
forgotten.